There once was a time when the most popular type of lighting was fluorescent light bulbs. Although these are still popular we’re now seeing a lot of people switch and take a stronger interest in sodium vapor lamps. What exactly is a sodium vapor lamp?

A sodium vapor lamp actually uses sodium to produce light. The main reason that these lamps are appealing is because they have a low level of light pollution. In regions where there is a big emphasis on astronomy and the study of the skies from observatories you will find that a lot of businesses have switched over to sodium vapor lamps.

There are actually two types of sodium vapor lamps. One type uses low pressure sodium and the other uses high pressure sodium. High pressure sodium is a smaller lamp that uses other elements in it like mercury. Low pressure sodium is the type that is preferred in the areas that are concerned about light pollution for reasons relating to astronomy.

Both types of sodium vapor lamps are becoming popular. They are not replacing fluorescent lights. They are merely adding on to the spectrum of lighting options that we have at our disposal. It will be interesting to see what new lights emerge as technology continues to advance.

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